The site of secret code-deciphering projects during World War Two – and the working home of Cambridge-educated computer scientist Alan Turing - looks set to welcome the next generation of codemakers and codebreakers.

Plans have been announced to train 16-19 year olds in cybersecurity at Bletchey Park, based in Buckinghamshire.

Thanks to QUFARO, a not-for-profit group from the cybersecurity industry, the UK’s first National College of Cyber Security will open on the site by 2018 as part of plans to support the country’s brightest cyber talent.

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The college will be a free-to-attend boarding school, and students will be able to study in the very location where codebreakers famously cracked Nazi codes to aid British war efforts.

The work of the wartime team, which included King’s College undergraduate Alan Turing, was famed for breaking the German Enigma encryption system.

Alan Turing

Lord Reid, Former Home Secretary and Chair of the Institute for Security and Resilience Studies at UCL, said: “By housing this new national gateway for cyber education and innovation at the home of British codebreaking and cryptography, I believe we will be able to harness the legacy of this historic location to inspire the next generation.

“It is a fitting tribute to the incredible impact of all those who have worked at Bletchley Park over the years and I look forward to witnessing the impact I believe it can have on UK society.”

Block G, one of the largest buildings on the Bletchley Park site, will house the National College.

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A £5million restoration project, funded by the Bletchley Park Science and Innovation Centre, is already underway to revamp the building into a pioneering security technology hub boasting some of the most advanced cyber test and demonstration facilities in the world.

In addition to the National College, QUFARO will develop a series of new cyber security courses covering a range of learning opportunities that do not exist in the UK today.

These include teacher awareness and training programmes, and new virtual courses in the fundamentals of cyber security for those seeking a career change.

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Margaret Sale, QUFARO non-executive director and founding member of both the Bletchley Park Trust and The National Museum of Computing, added: “Having been involved with the Bletchley Park site for more than 25 years, I believe that QUFARO represents a truly unique opportunity to reactivate this environment as a major contributor to our national security.

“Through initiatives such as the National College and the Cyber Investment Fund we can effectively combine the principles of heritage, education and innovation for which everything on this site stands.

“Previous generations are deeply proud of their contributions at Bletchley Park. I am keen to see what the next cadre will achieve.

Those keen to register their interest in any of the QUFARO programmes can visit the organisation’s website to receive regular progress updates and information about opportunities to engage with the QUFARO team.